Both Tara and Maya pulled their hands free. Maya scoffed, "You're joking, right?"
Tara immediately added, "Yeah. We're not interested. Bye-bye."
They turned around and started walking away.
"Wait!" Lav yelled. "At least listen to the deal!"
The girls kept walking.
"We'll do whatever you want!" Vedh shouted desperately. "Anything—literally anything! We'll even be your slaves!"
That made the girls stop. They smirked and turned around slowly.
Maya crossed her arms. "So… Tara and I each get to choose?"
Lav shook his head quickly. "No, no. You both have to decide on the same thing."
Tara shrugged. "Then deal cancelled. Let's go, Maya."
"Okay, okay!" Vedh blurted out. "Fine! Whatever you both choose—two things. Deal?"
"Yeah… deal," the girls said together, smiling.
Lav and Vedh got way too excited. They jumped around like monkeys and hugged each other in pure happiness.
Tara watched them and laughed. "Yoo! You two would actually make a great couple."
Maya quickly clicked a picture. "Aww, such a cute pair!"
Realizing what just happened, Lav and Vedh instantly pulled away from each other.
"Eww! Why did you hug me?" Lav said, making a disgusted face.
Vedh scoffed. "Oh please! You're the one who hugged me first."
Lav raised his hand, about to punch him playfully, but Tara caught his wrist. "Shh. Stop behaving like kids."
Vedh smiled at her softly. "I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."
Tara blinked, tilting her head. "Okay… but where?"
Vedh froze for a second, then scratched his head. "Oh… yeah. Where, Lav?"
Lav looked just as confused. "Uhmm… actually, I don't know either."
All of them facepalmed at the same time.
Vedh took a deep breath, calming himself down. "Okay… how about my house?"
"Okay, done," Tara said immediately.
Lav, now curious, asked, "So… what are your wishes anyway?"
Maya smiled. "We haven't decided yet. We'll let you know."
"Okay then, it's settled," Lav said with a smile.
The girls turned back to leave, and Vedh lifted his hand, waving them goodbye.
Tara glanced at Maya and said, "You should probably come to my house."
Maya stopped. "What? Why?" she asked, her eyes widening in confusion.
Tara replied, "I remember you have so many traditional clothes."
Maya paused, then it hit her. "Oh—yeah. Sorry, sorry. My bad."
Tara said, "So call your mom and tell her you're staying at my place today."
Maya hesitated. "Hey, it's okay. I'll just come tomorrow."
Tara facepalmed. "Brooo… how did God even make you a woman?"
Maya stepped forward, nodding seriously. "Yeah, I agree. I think about that too. Maybe it was a mistake," she said, nodding like she fully agreed with herself.
Tara rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I can see that. Look, Maya—if you're getting ready, we need time. We have to choose a saree, then matching jewelry, the perfect shoes, your makeup—so many things. Obviously, it's going to take a lot of time. And here you are saying, I'll come tomorrow."
Maya smiled in embarrassment. "Oh… I didn't know. Just give me a moment—I'll call my mom."
Maya smiled. "Okay, let's go. I took Mom's permission," she said, then ran up and hugged Tara from behind.
Tara laughed. "Good girl! Let's go to my house—and guess what? I just got a call from my parents. They're going out and will be back tomorrow morning." She smiled. "We'll enjoy today. Woohoo!"
They reached Tara's place and went to freshen up. Maya finished first, and by the time Tara was done, Maya was starving to death. She checked the fridge and found the last piece of cake.
Tara walked out of her room, casually drying her hair with a towel. She was hungry too.
She opened the fridge… and froze.
There was no cake.
Only tiny crumbs were left on the plate.
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "Wait… where is the cake?"
Then she noticed Maya standing behind her, covering her mouth.
Maya was chewing and smiled at her innocently.
Tara looked at her, instantly suspicious. "Why are you covering your mouth, huh? Open it."
Maya opened her mouth. "See? There's nothing."
But then Tara noticed a small chocolate smudge on Maya's lips.
"Yeah… true, it wasn't you," Tara said, trying to sound casual.
Maya smiled proudly. "See? I knew it… must be the ghost again, Tara."
Tara facepalmed. "Ugh… your ghost stories are never-ending!"
"It's a cake ghost," Maya defended, grinning.
Tara had had enough. She reached out and gently touched Maya's lips where the chocolate smudge remained. "Oh really? You're the only ghost around here. See? It's you—the cake ghost!"
Maya rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. You should be thankful—I rescued it! Who knows how long the poor cake was sitting in the fridge? Being a kind, good friend, I decided to save it."
Tara raised her eyebrows, frustrated. "Rescued… into your damn stomach?"
Maya shrugged casually, as if nothing had happened. "It's okay, you don't have to thank me."
"Arghhh, Maya!" Tara yelled. "I hate you, girl!
Maya just grinned, completely unbothered. "Oh really? That's harsh… but I'll take it as a compliment! You should've eaten before inviting this monster to your house, right? You didn't even leave a note like 'Don't eat it' or something. So… it's your fault for not mentioning it." Tara groaned in frustration, but before she could respond, Maya's mischievous grin widened. "Actually… wait… I might still eat it." She smiled shamelessly, leaving Tara to just roll her eyes.
Tara was about to say something, but Maya cut her off. "And now—"
Tara immediately cut in. "And now what? You have more to explain?" She clapped dramatically.
Maya flipped her hair. "Yeah, I do," she said slowly. "Why are you being so dramatic? Just gather all the crumbs together— "You'll get at least a spoonful of cake. Isn't that too much for you?"
Tara replied, clearly annoyed, "Ohhh hell yeah. And what if I get bloated, Maya?"
Maya winked and smiled mischievously. "Okay then, leave it. I'll have it. You know… the rescuer is always on duty," she said, bowing dramatically.
Tara threw a pillow straight at her face. "You brat! I'm going to kill you!!"
Maya quickly sat down in a corner, folding her legs. "Oh nooo, please don't, Tara. I'm scared," she said dramatically.
Tara sighed in pure frustration. "Just wait… I'll get my revenge!" she warned and left.
"Sure… I'd love to wait," said Maya, annoyed. Throughout the whole night, Maya and Tara didn't speak to each other. Maya was completely absorbed in the TV, laughing at the series playing on the screen, utterly forgetting that she had to pick out her outfits for tomorrow. Meanwhile, Tara was busy in her room, carefully setting out her saree, matching jewelry, and accessories, making sure everything was perfectly arranged for the occasion. As she worked, a random thought crossed her mind. What about Maya? Is she not going to choose her outfit at all? Curious, Tara quietly went to check on her, only to find Maya still laughing uncontrollably at the TV, completely lost track of time. Tara rolled her eyes. "Why should I care," she muttered under her breath, "when she herself forgets everything?" With that, she shrugged and went to sleep, leaving Maya to her shows.